Observations
by Scifan
Summary: S5 spoiler. It's a birthday present for Linda. It's a story that I thought of after seeing a cap for The Queen.


Observations

_It has been over two hours since Teyla left with Todd, their supposed Wraith ally. He needed her to help him gain trust with other Wraith hives, by having her pose as a queen. It was the only way he could get audience with another queen._

_John knew it was a mistake to let Teyla go on that other Wraith ship without one of them, but Todd and even Teyla reminded him that it would not help them gain the other hive's trust. Now the ship is gone and he along with Ronon, Rodney and Keller are stuck on Todd's ship, impatiently waiting. _

John sits at a table staring at a bowl of fruit that Todd somehow managed to get for them. All he could do was think about how he might lose Teyla again. What if something goes wrong and they figure out that Teyla is not a queen or worse? How could he live if Torren is without a mother? The last thing he is thinking about is eating.

Ronon is observing him from across the room. He's noticed that something about John has changed recently, but he's not quite sure what. Keller walks up and stands next to him.

"What are you doing?" she asks quietly.

"Just watching Sheppard," he begins and Keller turns her focus on John. "He's been acting odd lately. He doesn't seem himself"

Keller narrows her eyes in a questioning way, "How so?"

"I don't know. Look at him he's been sitting there the whole time Teyla has been gone. Without saying a word or anything," Ronon responds.

"Oh, really," Keller says with a dragged out smirky tone.

Ronon crinkles his face, "What is that suppose to mean?'

She tries to look less smug, "Let me ask you a few questions first. I could be thinking of the wrong thing. Does he act like this _every_ time Teyla leaves?'

"I guess so. I know he acted like this when Michael kidnapped her, but we were all worried about her," he answers with a slight rude tone.

"Yes, but has he done this since she's been back and when she goes off world to visit her people?" Keller continues.

Ronon stays quiet to think.

"Ok, how about this? How does he act around her? Is he nervous or anything?" she persists with almost a giddy tone.

Ronon gives her a stern look, "What does this have to do with anything?"

Keller gets a little anxious, "Just… just bare with me. Does he?"

Ronon sighs, "I… I guess." He pauses a bit. "Now that I think of it, he has been acting weird when he sees her. I just thought it was because of all the new changes that have been going on recently. What do you think it means?"

Keller smiles and her smug expression comes back, "I think he's in love with her."

Ronon gives her an uncertain look, "What?"

"I mean just look at him. He's obviously upset of what it going on, but he's miserable without her here," Keller says slightly boastful.

--

John slowly raises his hand to click the comm. in his ear. "McKay, did you find out anything yet?" he asks with a soft and slight mournful tone.

"No. There is no way for me to assess any information on where the other hive ship went from any of the data terminals. I can only do it from the bridge. Sorry," Rodney replies in a whisper.

John sighs, "Thanks for trying Rodney. Why don't you get back here before they find you sneaking around?"

Rodney agrees and heads towards John, Ronon and Keller are located.

--

Teyla keeps reminding herself of some of Todd's coaching.

"_Do not show any fear or doubt. The queen will be able to sense it. You must act and speak with confidence, almost to the point of arrogance. It will be our lives if you do not." _

She was getting tired. It has not been easy for her to do this charade. So far, she's been able to keep the queen from finding out her true identity when she felt her try to enter her thoughts. She even was able to place false memories of battles won and lost with Todd under her command. She hopes that she is convincing enough to the queen to get them to join the alliance, and go back to Todd's ship before she loses the ability to keep the queen from hiding out who she really is.

The queen approaches Teyla and still looks unsure, "There is something that is still unsettling about this." She glares at Todd and Teyla.

"Then you are on your own with the impure Wraith that the humans call Michael!" Teyla hisses. "I demand that we are taking back to my ship. I grow tired of these games!"

"Very well," the queen replies unpleasantly. "We will join together in this battle… for now."

She waves her arm to one of her men and demands them to go back to where the ship is waiting.

--

Less than ten minutes after Rodney sits next to John and starts eating the food in front of him, the other Wraith ship finally returns and they are informed by one of Todd's officers. John quickly gets up and waits anxiously for them to enter.

John had completely forgotten how uncomfortable he was seeing Teyla being a Wraith. She can see his discomfort.

"John is there something wrong?" she asks.

His face sympathetically contorts, "No offense Teyla, but can we get doc to make you you again. It's really creeping me out looking at you like this."

Teyla releases a little laugh, "Very well, John. I will have her do that right now."

While Teyla is gone, Todd tells John about all they accomplished, leaving the details out about what Teyla had to endure. He did not see it as relevant information.

Keller begins to remove all of the prosthetics that they needed to use on Teyla, but as she does, she notices an odd node on Teyla's face. It's a very small slit by her nose like the Wraiths have.

Keller looks nervous, "Teyla did anything unusual happen while you were on the ship?"

"Other than using my gifts more then I usually do, I do not believe so. Why?" Teyla answered with an anxious tone.

Keller doesn't know what to say and Teyla begins to feel her face. She feels the deformity.

Teyla begins to panic, "How? How can this happen?"

Keller gestures her to calm down, "I… I don't know. We'll have to get you back to Atlantis and run some tests.

Ronon, Rodney and John walk into the room. John begins to tell Teyla and Keller that they were getting ready to leave on the jumper. Teyla turns her face away so the men can't see. John senses something is wrong.

"Teyla?" he says softly.

She buries her face in her hands and begins to weep. She can't bring herself to show or say what is wrong, so Keller tells him. It was the last thing they were expecting.

John doesn't say a word to the news at first. He pulls Teyla around and puts his arms around her. She hides he face in his chest still crying.

"Don't worry. We'll figure it out. You'll see," John consoles her.

Keller walks over to Ronon and quietly nudges him with her elbow to his side. He smirks and simple nods.

Rodney looks at them both confused, "What? What did I miss?"

Ronon and Keller just keep smiling.

--

When they get back to Atlantis, that Teyla's Wraith DNA has increased. Keller theorizes that it might be that every time Teyla uses her gift to get into a Wraith's mind it brings out more of her Wraith side.

Teyla tries to take time to be alone on the balcony, but John finds her. She turns to find comfort in his arms again.

"What if I become more and more like a Wraith? I do not know…" she begins to say.

John interrupts and holds her tighter, "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you."

The End.


End file.
